262 : Understanding the Homeless Community

How does your shop address and interact with the homeless community? If you are like most people, the answer is not very defined and born more from fear and misunderstanding than empathy and informed policy. As we provide spaces to serve the community, it is important that we focus in on how we interact with every person within it, including the homeless. To help us rewrite the narrative and bring some understanding to the conversation on home we and our businesses treat the homeless we are going to be talking with the Executive Director of Louisville Coalition for the Homeless, Natalie Harris. Natalie Harris joined The Coalition for the Homeless in April of 2010. The Coalition is a nonprofit organization committed to advocacy, education and collaboration on the issues of homelessness. It is member agency of over 30 homeless shelter and service providers serving Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. They have a staff of twelve. Natalie was responsible for working to create Rx:Housing/Louisville and effort to end both veteran and chronic homelessness in Louisville. Natalie was also the Chief Executive Officer of Miami Valley Housing Opportunities, a nonprofit supportive housing provider in Dayton, Ohio. Natalie also served as director of the Specialized Housing Resources Department at Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC), the state housing finance agency. There, she was responsible for development, implementation and coordination of policies and procedures relating to special needs housing. She has served as a consultant to the U.S. Census Bureau, Corporation for Supportive Housing, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Urban Institute on issues related to rural homelessness and supportive housing. In this conversation Natalie gives us insight into the factors contributing to homelessness and helps give us practical and actionable steps to take to equip ourselves and our staff with the mindsets and tools to really connect with and help the homeless community in meaningful ways. Please look into the links provided here to learn more. We cover: Systems that create homelessness Profit over people Segregation Blaming the person Broadening your perspective Listening and connecting Coffee shops role Gaining more information Communicating with your staff Links: https://louhomeless.org email: nharris@louhomeless.org https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/take-a-course/ Related Episodes: 180 : A Conversation with Rugid Grind Founders, Brian Washington and Averett Barksdale 182 : Founder Friday w/ Alec Tod of Indie Coffee Roasters 106 : Changing Lives Through Coffee w/ Pamela Chng of Bettr Barista 183 : Exploring Diversity w/ Phyllis Johnson 139 : Founder Friday w/ Kusanya Cafe Co-Founder, Phil Sipka Need consulting? Reach out! chris@keystotheshop.com The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service